Various types of movable barrier operators have been used to move various types of barriers throughout the years. In one example, a gate operator rotates a gate arm to control access to an area. The gate arm is lowered to block access to the area and raised to allow access to the area. To mention a few examples, such gate arms are typically used at entrances to parking lots, factories, railroad crossings, or government offices.
One important characteristic for gate operators is that the operators should provide enough force to lift the gate arm from the horizontal position to the vertical position (and vice versa). Another desired characteristic for these systems is that the barrier operator should be small as possible. A small size is desired because the gates are often deployed in confined areas where empty or usable space is at a premium. Thus, some previous approaches have attempted to balance the desire to provide a gate operator with sufficient power to move a gate arm and a gate operator that is of a desirable compact size so that it can fit into the confined spaces where the operator will be deployed.
One attempted solution was the use of hydraulic barrier movement systems. In a hydraulic system, hydraulic arms move the barrier back and forth from a horizontal position to a vertical position and vice versa. Unfortunately, hydraulic systems have suffered from a variety of problems. For instance, hydraulic systems are expensive to manufacture due to the high cost of the hydraulic components and the difficulty in assembling the components together. Additionally, these systems are prone to hydraulic leaks and other problems which increase the maintenance costs of these systems. Repairing the systems is also cumbersome since the many hydraulic components are complicated and difficult for service personnel to access. For instance, it was often challenging for service personnel to access and replace the hydraulic hoses typically used in these systems.
Other types of gate operators have utilized gear arrangements. Unfortunately, these gear arrangements were typically more expensive to manufacture. Additionally, since these operators often used multiple gear reduction stages, they were difficult to service and/or repair.
Whether using hydraulic approaches or gears, previous operators also suffered from performance limitations. More specifically, many of these previous approaches did not guide the barrier arm smoothly along its path and the arm often “hopped” or jerked during movement or when starting or stopping. Additionally, previous approaches were not able to position the barrier arm very precisely. For example, in confined spaces where the arm had to be placed at precise locations to avoid impacting other structures, previous approaches sometimes proved inadequate. Even further, precise placement also permits a barrier to achieve aesthetic goals of permitting the barrier to look better in its environment.